Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding he plans to allocate to midwife (a) training and (b) recruitment in the next 12 months.

The NHS Education and Training tariff funds clinical midwife placements at approximately £5,000 per full time equivalent post. The rate is adjusted by the Market Forces Factor and varies by region. In addition, eligible midwifery students can apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). The LSF provides a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 per student per academic year. We review the funding arrangements for both schemes annually.

Funding for midwife training is demand led and is not capped by the Government. The total amount of funding depends on the number of students in the system.

National Health Service trusts manage their recruitment at a local level. This includes allocating funding to ensure they have the right number of staff in place with the right skills mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we will publish a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a new workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.